New Zealand- North to South Overview
"And so the adventure begins!" my naive self wrote in the first page of my already well worn journal. Truthfully, I had no idea what I was getting myself into as I flew 8,000 miles around the world to totally uncharted territory. I had frantically packed all kinds of clothes, because I was told we would experience elements of all 4 seasons in just one 4-week trip- crazy, right? And there I was, settled in aboard an Air New Zealand Boeing 777 for 14 hours.
In my opinion, the most daunting thing about a trip to New Zealand is easily the 14 hour plane ride. Please, please, please don't let that keep you from going. This may sound crazy, but I've learned the longer the long-haul flight, the easier the trip. Think about it this way: if you're flying from Newark, NJ to Dublin, the flight is only 5 hours, 45 minutes. By the time you have dinner and watch a movie, you'll only have a couple hours to sleep before breakfast and landing. And by then you're thinking of everything you have to do when you land- making connections, getting to your hotel, meeting up with friends or family. But when you've had dinner, watched Christmas in Connecticut (yes, Air NZ really had that on their in-flight entertainment, and yes, I really did watch it), and the screen STILL says 12 hours and 31 minutes remaining, you have nothing better to do than sleep! So, I slept. For 6 hours, which is a record for me, and when I finally made it to Wellington, I had little to no jet-lag.
Wellington
At first glance, Wellington is very industrial. There is a spectacular harbor, and although it is lined with shipping containers waiting to board the next ferry, there is something so charming about it.
The city is also still rebuilding after a disastrous earthquake struck in November, 2016. The coastline weaves in and out, following the natural island landscape. As the capital of the country, Wellington combines the governmental, cultural, and historical aspects I look for in a city, but mix that with a population of just over 200,000, and you have yourself a gem of a city. Everything from the trendy and fun restaurants on the wharf like The Crab Shack and Dockside, to the beehive shaped parliament building, and the neighboring hills that surround the city (giving it a very San Francisco vibe) gives Wellington character and life.
For a taste of the culture and history of New Zealand, head over to the Te Papa museum. What's cool about the museum is that all of the exhibits are very hands-on and interactive. Instead of reading panel after panel on the wildlife that inhabits the islands or the battle of Gallipoli, you get to see real versions of extinct animals, listen to their calls, and learn about how the silver fern became a national symbol. You get to read journal entries from soldiers who fought in the battle of Gallipoli, and hear their stories. One of the coolest parts of the museum was that they had a Maori marae, meaning "meeting grounds". The marae is the most sacred place for Maori people- it can be one building or a group of buildings- intricately carved, and meticulously maintained. It is where they go to worship, gather, have meals, and reflect. The marae in the museum was stunning- beautifully carved wood, with incredible intricate details. I popped my shoes off and headed inside to look around.
Wellington is also home to Weta Workshop- the special effects and prop company most well-known for their production of sets, costumes, armor, weapons, creatures, and miniatures for the critically acclaimed film series The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Definitely worth a visit- even if you haven't seen the LOTR trilogy (like me).
If you have time, go up to the top of Mt. Victoria- one of the neighboring hills giving you spectacular views of all of Wellington and its suburbia. In every direction you look, there is something to see.
Nelson
A 25-minute flight from Wellington, Nelson is a tiny town at the very north end of the South Island. It's also right near the Marlborough region- better known as the winemaking capital of NZ- (Sauvignon Blanc from the region is my most favorite! hit me up for recommendations!). Nelson is such a charming and quaint little town with cobblestone streets, cozy coffee shops, and the most beautiful weekend farmers' market where you can get just about anything. Among the bounty of things I bought were tomato seeds to bring home for my dad, jars on jars of Manuka honey (if you don't know the benefits of Manuka honey, read this article!), the sweetest most delectable strawberries, and a hand crafted ceramic jar made with sand from what would soon become one of my most favorite places on this planet, the Abel Tasman National Park (more on that later). Also noteworthy- Nelson is home to the jeweler who made THE ring from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. You can still go to his shop to see the ring!
Te Anau and Milford Sound
To get to Milford Sound, we drove from Queenstown and stopped in the minuscule town of Te Anau for the night. By far the highlight of Te Anau was going to the glow worm caves. Upon arriving to this remote shore on Lake Te Anau, we hiked up into the woods where our guide was waiting for us. Forgetting the insane phenomenon that glow worms themselves are, the cave alone would have been worth the $88NZD (about $60USD). The cave spans something like 8km (6 ish miles) with 3 major waterfalls and about 1 million glow worms (literally). Weaving and ducking our way deep into the depths of the cave, I found myself having two recurring thoughts: 1) what if this cave caved in? we would definitely die. 2) try not to slip and fall. Profound, I know. The cave was damp and chilly, but more than that it was beautiful. The walls of rock showed each distinct layer of sediment that fell to create it. When we had hiked deep enough into the cave, we hopped into this engineless floating aluminum rectangular boat where our guide pulled us through the water using an intricate system of chains mounted on the cave walls. Seeing the glow worms was like looking at the stars. The cave was so dark I couldn't see either of the people sitting next to me, yet there, on the walls and ceiling were these tiny dots of almost fake-looking glow-in-the-dark-paint worms. I think the glow worms were pretty close to us, maybe 3 feet away, but they looked like they could have been lightyears away from me in the ebony sky. Eventually we wound up back at the cave entrance, trying to comprehend what we just witnessed. And one of the best parts of the whole trip was that no cameras or phones were allowed. While I was sad I couldn't document such a cool experience, this was one I was 100% invested in. I wasn't trying to get the best angle and take pictures of every tiny thing, I was taking in the sights and sounds of one of the most insane caves I've ever been in. I was in the moment, totally, completely in the moment. And I am so grateful for that.
The next day we drove to Milford Sound by way of Fiordland National Park. Just when I thought NZ couldn't get any more rugged and beautiful, BAM it proved me wrong. There is a series of lakes in Fiordland called the "mirror lakes" which, as you could imagine, are so still they create mirrors. But the water in the lakes is so clear you can also see everything below the surface.
As you weave your way to Milford Sound, the anticipation heightens. And let me tell you, it still exceeded my expectations. Having been to Norway, I sort of knew what to expect since Milford is technically a fjord and not a sound (but we won't get into the specifics...). It is absolutely one for the record books, winding in and out between two mountains with the remnants of a glacier at the top of one. Penguins, seals, and even some sharks call these crystal clear frigid waters home, where every day they get to see the cotton candy clouds delicately stick to the mountainsides. We boarded a boat and sailed out to the entrance of the sound on the Tasman Sea which was a sparkling slate grey in color, contrasting the deep blue of the Milford waters.
If you're feeling like splurging on an activity, pay up to hop on board a 6-seater single engine plane and fly back to Queenstown. Not only will you avoid a 5 hour bus trip, but you'll take in the jagged, snow covered peaks of the mountains on the South Island. Upon takeoff, you ascend to cruising altitude while flying over Milford, before turning south east and heading to Queenstown. Some peaks along the way were still snow capped, while some had sheep roaming and grazing about. We flew past the most pristinely blue hanging lake nestled high in the mountains that is only accessible by hiking 3 days to it. Eventually we hit Lake Wakatipu where we turned and followed to the airport. I'll talk more about Queenstown in a later post, because my love for it can't be captured in just a few words. But what I will say is this: if there is one place in the world that I could be right now, it would be Q-town. Hands down. No questions asked.
So that's my quick overview of New Zealand! Be on the lookout for more specific posts from my trip, like where to stay, what to do, Queenstown 101, and my trek through the Abel Tasman. As you can very clearly tell, NZ holds quite the special place in my heart.